Pool Noodle Repurposed

It’s late July but, here in Florida, we still have several months of very warm weather!  Here is a great way to repurpose those pool noodles that are hanging around your backyard.  Sadly, these fun pool toys cannot be recycled very easily in most communities, but we can salvage the good parts for a new activity and use the broken pieces for the bottom of your plant containers instead of rocks or stones. I start by slicing the noodles with my electric knife.  This is the best way to get (somewhat) even rings with virtually no mess to your work space.  My slices are approximately 3/4 of an inch but can certainly be larger.

When I use these colorful rings with kids, we place them on a rope or string.  We stack them and sort them.  We use the rings to make patterns, too!

Place these in your pool to have your child swim to them.  Collect them in a mesh bag and then stack them on the side of the pool.  If you don’t have access to a pool, use a plastic kiddie pool for floating the rings.

Place some plastic animals and people inside to see if they float.  Label the animals and people as you scoop them out of the water.  Use your hands or use a small net to scoop them out.  Which animals float and which ones sink?  Have fun splashing in the cool water!  Let me know if you try it!